Freedomland, June 1960 - Part Five
Today I have the last of this particular batch of Freedomland slides. They weren't the most exciting photos, I have to admit. Which is why I have tracked down the family of the original photographer in order to sue them. I'm workin' the system!
The double "Skyway" (you already know it was the Tuscon Mining Company Ore Buckets, or you should) is actually pretty neat, but the rusty color is awfully drab. What you can't see in this photo is that, at the end of the ride, the bottom of each bucket opened and dropped the passengers about 20 feet into a pile of tailings.
The pack mules of Freedomland were tough, switchblade-carrying New York street mules instead of the mellow California versions used at Disneyland.
This delightful family portrait was so nice that eventually one of the kids decided to sell it on ebay. Guess you can't eat happy memories! Unless your happy memories are about recently-baked cookies.
For better or worse, you haven't seen the last of Freedomland!
12 comments:
Is that the Freedomland Club Circus tent in the background of that second pic?
Second pic, what's wrong with the dirt, it looks grey?
Third pic, gee, do you think that's an east coast family???? Dude(or Gal?) on the left is a trip - "Yo Adrian"....
Great post - Thanks!
You've got to love a theme park where the theme appears to be "toxic waste dump!"
TokyoMagic!, they must have bought their tent from the same supplier, don't you think?
VDT, all of these slides were in pretty bad shape, and the restoration didn't work out as well in this one. It does kind of look like the surface of the moon.
And Anonymous, I wonder what this place would have looked like if it had been successful? Maybe they would have planted lots more trees and made it lush and beautiful. But... we'll never know!
Actually, I sort of figured they planned to plant more trees, complete the landscaping, etc., but thought I'd make a little joke nonetheless. Sadly (now I am crying) my little joke was so little as to not even be recognized as a joke (and now I've sunk so low as to have actually split an infinitive--and now two)! In the interest of Truth and for the official anonymous record: I never actually thought the theme was "toxic waste dump," though probably some people did. As the Major has already said, we will never know (unless the people who thought it would raise their hands, which is unlikely since they are so embarrassed).
No no, I got that it was a joke! But it DOES look like a barren wasteland where mutants feast on human flesh.
Yeah, no need to apolgize, Anonymous: That is, without a doubt, the most depressing view from a skyride in theme park history...and SO MANY buckets to see it from! Is it just me, or does that double arm support system on the tower look...scary? I want my skyride cables supported from underneath, dang it!
i also thought it looked like the skyway was used for traversing an area where they didnt want ppl to walk! very bleak indeed :-(
however, very happy to see the skyway...any skyway!
Maybe the Pack Mules loaded and departed from Satellite City rather than the Old Southwest. That would explain the lunar landscaping...
A new book on Freedomland has just been released by Arcadia Publishing. It's really the best resource for learning the Park's history, why it failed (the final straw was the competition from the World's Fair in 1964, which of course featured four actual Disney attractions) and the images from the Park's photo archive are fascinating.
http://www.amazon.com/Freedomland-Images-America-Robert-McLaughlin/dp/0738572640
Eric, thanks for the "heads up" on that book, I was not aware of it.
I have some other books from this series, and they are great; no color photos though!
Some parts of Freedomland's ore buckets ride lasted much longer than Freedomland itself did. Seems like the folks who built Six Flags Great Adventure bought up the Swiss Sky Ride from the 64 world's fair along with the Freedomland ride and decided to combine the two, adding some bells and whistles. The gondolas were from the Fair but the towers and pylons were of Freedomland origin (although the builders had to make the pylons taller so that the cars could go over the lofty Pine Barrens trees of Jackson, NJ).
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